Making Ethiopia Great Again? Examining the Oromo Protests (w/ Getu Teressa)
/Getu Teressa, Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine and political analyst joins the WBI show to share his insight into Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s “Medemer”, his insights into the existential and material crisis of the Oromo people and the weight of Oromo musician and activist, Haacaaluu Hundeessaa’s assasination.
**This interview was conducted in August 2020 as part of an deeper investigative look into the history and political climate of Ethiopia as it intersects with data and tech policy. In particular, We Be Imagining is concerned about the role of mis/disinformation on social media platforms ie. Facebook which fail to provide adequate content and context moderation. However, the slow scholarship this requires was outweighed by the urgency of the current political moment so we are sharing some of the stories recorded then.
Please note, inclusion in this series in no way indicates agreement among each interviewee or is fully comprehensive of the political history, we simply aim to provide more nuanced and thoughtful insight given the dearth of coverage. Links and notes are subject to change.
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Host: J. Khadijah Abdurahman
Music: Drew Lewis
Links for the Episode:
The media's crisis on Ethiopia
Abiy Ahmed—a Philosopher King or a Sophist? By Getu Teressa
Haacaaluu Hundeessaa: A towering musician and an Oromo icon
What is Medemer?
Ethiopia PM Fires Defence Minister, a One-Time Ally, in Major Reshuffle
Ethiopia's Abiy wins Nobel Peace Prize for resolving conflict with Eritrea
Why Abiy Ahmed's Prosperity Party could be bad news for Ethiopia
